Rethymno

Crete: a favorite tourist destination, an island full of charm, history and culture, a crucial junction of the Mediterranean and a true link between Europe, Africa and Asia. A place to see? Absolutely. But also a place quite full of pitfalls for the average yachtsman (but also for the experienced one, under certain conditions).

First of all, it should be said right away that Crete is a windy island. Very windy and rather exposed on both coasts. Because of its elongated shape and the physiognomy of the coasts, it does not offer great natural shelter and is qualsi devoid of well sheltered natural inlets, anchorages and coves where you can safely drop anchor. The weather situation around Crete is a tough one: in summer especially, with July and August topping the “worst” list, but winter is no joke either, with its rains and storms.

In Crete the meltemi blows strongly in summer, practically every day, and it takes three different directions depending on the part of the island: in the western part it comes from the northeast, in the central part from the north, and in the eastern part from the northwest. In July and August, it serenely reaches 8 degrees on the Beaufort scale, and in the two narrow channels that separate Crete from the islets on its sides, it is capable of forming large and treacherous seas, with waves as high as 3 or 4 meters.

This is really a seasonal juncture, since in May, June, September and October the situation is much quieter and the island is serenely visitable by boat, so our advice is to weigh well any decision to plan a visit for the high and very high season. Spring is perhaps the best season; April is moderately rainy but there are still not a few sunny days and the winds are not as strong as in midsummer.

Rethymno is a port located on the north coast of the island of Crete, at the foot of a beautiful town full of tourist attractions (as almost everywhere else, for that matter, in Crete). It goes without saying that in summer it is crammed with tourists, especially in the area of the small, old Venetian ports, picturesque but inaccessible for pleasure boats, full of taverns and old-fashioned stores.

As far as winds and ridge are concerned, Rethymno offers good shelter from most winds; only the strong ones coming from the northeast manage to enter the port causing some annoyance, but nothing serious anyway. Arriving at the ports is not problematic, again except in the case of strong meltemi: in this case the arrival at the port could be quite “intense” and just at the entrance to the port basin strong currents form.

Rethymno is an entirely artificial port carved out thanks to two long breakwaters. The marina is located in the southeastern part of the basin and consists of five floating docks, further sheltered by a smaller breakwater that extends from the coast in a south-north direction.
The docks are equipped with mooring lines (two), water and electricity (not always, it seems, a fee is charged for use). Passing boats usually moor at pier C, the northernmost one.

As for services, they are basic but at least they are there. Columns with water and electricity, as mentioned, dockside toilets, free wi-fi, garbage cans. There is no fuel but you can get it from the gas station in the village.

Please note: YouTube has several videos of drag-racing races along the ports’ docks (that’s right!). However, this was happening in years past; since 2010 the problem has been solved and now the marina is protected by security barriers.

For its part, the town offers cafes, bars, taverns, excellent food and other supply options, various bike, scooter and car rental services, an archaeological muse and a local culture muse. The Venetian fortress just west of the port is well worth a visit, as are absolutely recommended two steps in the small Venetian port, picturesque and delightful.